Bond Dog Training

10/10/2026

Having a fantastic time listening to brilliant people at the CANIS conference! As vice chair of the board for Association for Professional Dog Training International, I’m really proud of the collaboration with AggressiveDog.com that created this event. It’s been inspiring!

"The critical question is: is the animal leading a life worth living? That should be the minimum we offer." Dr. Daniel Mills

During our animal welfare panel, Michael Shikashio asked what happens when a dog's choices clash with what we think is best for them. (Rolling in duck p**p came up. Of course it did.) Dr. Daniel Mills, Professor of Veterinary Behavioural Medicine, brought it back to the big picture: not every moment has to be perfect, but every dog deserves a life worth living.

He followed it with a simple question we can all ask before choosing an approach: is it necessary? If there is a kinder way to reach the same goal, that is the way to go.

Huge thanks to Daniel and our incredible panel, Kim Brophey, Dr. Emma Gaalaas Mullaney, Dr. Lisa Gunter, Dr. Abbie Atteberry, and Dr. Patricia McConnell, moderated by Michael Shikashio.

09/12/2026

September is National Service Dog Month, and we are using it to celebrate every dog trained to change a life. 🐕‍🦺

Service dogs open doors, quite literally and otherwise, for the people they partner with. Behind every one of them is a trainer who put in months, sometimes years, of careful, patient work.

To everyone in our community who trains, places, or supports service dogs, thank you.
Your work reaches further than most people realize.

Have you trained or worked alongside a service dog team? Tell us about it below.

07/31/2026

I’m on vacation!

I’ll be off-grid for a bit, so if you are trying to reach me, I probably won’t be able to get back to you until after August 9.

07/15/2026

Meet (adoptable) Gus!

Gus is pretty much an ideal buddy. Around 1 year old, friendly, smart, charming, just an all-around cool guy! He was found in March and has been thriving with his foster family since then. But he’s looking for something permanent. For some reason, this handsome guy just hasn’t been getting applications, and that is baffling to me and to his fosters because he is awesome.

Gus loves people and dogs, and he was a quick and enthusiastic learner during our training session. He’s big but not huge at around 55 pounds, and at around a year old he’s still a bit of a puppy. So he loves to play and learn, but he also loves to chill out and be a lap dog.

Gus will be someone’s absolute best friend, so if you think that might be you or someone you know, reach out right away!

Gus is available for adoption via Austin Animal Center – you can use the QR code on the attached poster from his foster or https://bit.ly/Adopt-Gus-atx to find out more and fill out an application.

Let’s help this very cool dude find a home!

07/11/2026

Draco is fearful of people, so his training started with a LOT of him yelling and acting tough. He and his mom have done an amazing job working together on his training, and I was so happy to see this very relaxed, happy boy today! Trusting me took some time and he’s come really, really far.

07/04/2026

Happy Fourth of July from all of us at APDT International! 🎆🐾

However you're celebrating this weekend, we hope it's filled with good people, great dogs, and plenty of joy.

One gentle reminder as the fireworks begin: keep your pups safe indoors with a cozy retreat, and double-check those ID tags. A calm, secure space is the best gift you can give an anxious dog tonight. 💙

Wishing you and your four-legged family a happy and safe holiday.

05/29/2026

Xylitol is a common ingredient that most people don’t know is harmful to dogs. Knowing what can potentially harm your dog and doing what you can to keep it out of their reach is vital to keep them safe!

A few other things we can enjoy safely that our dogs can’t: onions, grapes and raisins, chocolate, caffeine, and some very common plants like sago palms.

The ASPCA Poison Control hotline is an incredible resource if you ever need it!
https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/aspca-poison-control

Tonight I ended up trying to help a friend whose puppy ate a kid's vitamin containing xylitol. Simple accident: kid dropped vitamin, puppy scarfed it down. (Note: this household is knowledgeable and is xylitol free, but a relative bought the vitamins, unaware of the risk to the dogs.)

The puppy only ate *one* vitamin. Which turned out to contain 1500 mg of xylitol.

100 mg/kg is the threshold for hypoglycemia which can be fatal. At 500 mg/kg, hepatic necrosis occurs -- destruction of liver tissue.

So just ONE chewable vitamin ended up creating a serious problem for a 30 pound pup (which is not quite 14 kg).

The emergency vet induced vomiting. Thankfully, the puppy had had a meal and so there was food in her stomach. In the vomit was the orange tablet, identifiable though dissolved.

Quick thinking on the owner's part (including grabbing the bottle of vitamins) and fortunately a nearby 24/7 emergency vet hospital meant that this pup received prompt treatment, and should make a full recovery.

Check your medications, vitamins, gum, candy, toothpaste, mouthwash, peanut butter and more for xylitol, also known as birch sugar.

This is useful information to have on hand:
https://www.calculatorsfordogs.com/health-nutrition-calculators/xylitol-toxicity-calculator

ALWAYS contact vet and ASPCA Animal Poison Control center immediately!

As for everyone (the non-vets) recommending the use of hydrogen peroxide, please update your understanding:
https://www.gsvs.org/woodbridge-nj/blog/hydrogen-peroxide-for-dogs-emergency/

Pass this along. I hope you never have to use it.

05/22/2026

Shrimp was very brave (and very handsome!) for his training session today!

05/21/2026

Excellent graphic and info from AggressiveDog.com! This is a common misconception that I regularly talk about with students.

Let’s talk about the “magica hand.”

Well meaning people reach out their hand so a dog can sniff and make friends. For some dogs, that is fine. For others, it is the fastest way to get bitten.

A reaching hand can:
• Feel invasive
• Reduce distance
• Corner the dog
• Predict restraint

Some dogs have learned that biting makes the hand go away quickly.

A better option:
Allow the dog to approach if they choose.
Ignore them until they initiate affiliative behavior.
Watch body language carefully.

And if:
🚫 You are unsure about what you are seeing
🚫 There is a bite history
🚫 Handling is not necessary

Walking away is the safest choice.

Preventing bites is often about reducing unnecessary pressure.


Dog Illustrations by The Drawables, Owned By: Liz V.

04/16/2026

This is Noelia (aka Nelly!). I've worked with Nelly a few times now, and she is a very sweet, adorable and loving girl. She is also up for adoption through the Austin Animal Center!

Nelly gets along really well with her foster mom's other dog, so a home with another dog is a good option for her! She also has some fear of strangers, so a confident dog friend may be helpful. She will bark at strangers when they are too close, but prefers to leave if she has the space to do so.

She is a fast learner, and made friends with me immediately when she saw I had a treat, so I think she has a very good chance of being a much more confident girl. Once she knows you, she is a total love bug, and she will definitely be an amazing best friend for her future person or people!

If you or someone you know might be interested in adopting Nelly, her Austin Animal Center ID number is 18985 (I'll put her profile link in the comments!). You can also reach out to me and I'll put you in touch with her wonderful foster.